ACF Hospital Car Info

[chessie system fan]

A hospital car would be fabulous.  FWIW, here's some drawings of the later Korean War-era car used in Amtrak service.

http://www.trainweb.org/asamtrak911/model/plans/amtk1610-1617.pdf

http://www.trainweb.org/asamtrak911/model/plans/amtk3100-3105.pdf

[VonRyan]

Joe, if you made a hospital car just like that and even painted like that, I'd buy it.


-Cody F.

[CBQ Fan]

I would be in for Monon and the Army scheme is cool also.

[TiVoPrince]

SP
cars would certainly find their way into 'Coast Mail' trains.  I know that they are out of era but I like them too much to ignore...

[bbussey]

The RBB&B Advertising Car would fit in with all roads, as it was the car used to transport advertising staff to future destinations for the circus.  The car typically brought up the markers on whatever passenger consist was heading toward the desired destination.  That would be era-appropriate from the 1950s to the 1970s, and that one car would be more significant to me than having the entire circus consist.

[JoeD]

I know...the single window coach is still in the que...   Just looking ahead especially with some licenses we are looking at picking up.  Ringling Brothers had some.  Just thinking.

Joe

"CSX inherited 3 by way of Chessie--- but they have smaller windows than these cars."

CSX had more than just three... two of the former ACL business cars were rebuilt from the ACF type cars.  Additional ACL cars were rebuilt by ACF to baggage - dorm and one was rebuilt to a baggage - express.

For what its worth... you would sell far more single windowed coaches than you could ever sell of any version of the hospital cars... and that is just fact!

[jmlaboda - RIP]

"I know...the single window coach is still in the que...   Just looking ahead especially with some licenses we are looking at picking up.  Ringling Brothers had some.  Just thinking."

Thanks for confirming this, Joe... it is appreciated!!!

I actually have done some work on an article about modeling heavyweights that were converted to hospital ward cars, including some that, for a time doubled as troop sleepers, which towards the end of the War were converted to mortuary cars but haven't gotten far enough along to actually do some models so that the changes can be shown.

The ACF hospital cars were very unique and unusual and were a valuable asset to the railroads that bought them for whatever reason.  Hopefully this project can be one of the offerings from MT, especially so if someone would offer the metal lovers added to the cars that the circus train acquired since these made the cars very distinctive...
http://rr-fallenflags.org/ras/rbc-pitt-b.jpg
http://rr-fallenflags.org/ras/rbbs27amh.jpg

[sirenwerks]

For what its worth... you would sell far more single windowed coaches than you could ever sell of any version of the hospital cars... and that is just fact!

I believe that's a speculation; until it actually happens.   

[Ian MacMillan]

Id take a RB and Alaska.

[H Lee]

Joe, I know you were specifically looking for info on the hospital cars and the hospital car certainly has some interest --- but to drift the thread, I'd like to see you guys modify the existing Troop Sleepers to the boxcar versions that RR's re-built them into after WWII.  I know there were more than one version of the re-builds which likely counts against this happening. Just wanted to toss in my two cents worth. Thanks

[jmlaboda - RIP]

"I'd like to see you guys modify the existing Troop Sleepers to the boxcar versions that RR's re-built them into after WWII."

Do you mean... like this?

[H Lee]

"I'd like to see you guys modify the existing Troop Sleepers to the boxcar versions that RR's re-built them into after WWII."

Do you mean... like this?

Yep - but Ready-To-Run!!!! I have absolutely no ability to paint and decal!! And have proven it too many times to consider a kit.

The RI scheme - painting I 'might' be able to do an adequate job - but the decaling is still way beyond my abilities to do anywhere near a quality job.

[Sokramiketes]

Micro-Trains has promised tooling changes for a couple projects on existing cars.  The modified Troop sleepers, and more traditional window patterns on the RPO are two that come to mind.

Other manufacturers are hesitant to release modified troop sleepers and heavyweight RPO's because MTL has promised them in the past.  MTL basically has these models locked up, and every year that goes by without the new versions being created, is a detriment to modelers everywhere.

It's time for MTL to officially release them from the queue or step up and do the tooling to finish out the series that were started.  They're stuck in manufacturing pergatory!

After that, a hospital car is a perfect, one off, intriguing model for MTL to do.   

[OldEastRR]

Wit a minute ... are we going to return to early days of N scale, where weird and one-off models (Atlas log car, C-Liner, BL observation, AHM oddball Pennsy RPO-combine, Rivarossi converted hospital car RPO, ironically) were chosen to be the ones mass -produced?
Surely there must be other car types that more numerous  and generally-used by more railroads still waiting to be made!

[bbussey]

Not many at this point.